The Traitor of Konoha
by Blacknayami
Summary: Mysterious killings are taking place in Sunagakure. Tsunade sends a team consisting of Kakashi, Anko, Yamato, Naruto, Sakura and Hinata to help the Sand ninja. At Sunagakure, the konoha ninja uncover a dangerous plot. How far will Kakashi go for Anko?
1. A Cloak of Mist

The Traitor of Konoha

A fanfiction by Blacknayami

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I write this fanfiction purely for fun.

Summary: Mysterious killings are happening in the village-hidden-in the-sand. Tsunade sends a team consisting of Kakashi, Anko, Yamato, Naruto, Sakura and Hinata to help out the sand ninja. At Sunagakure, the konoha ninja uncover a dangerous plot. How far is Kakashi willing to go for Anko? KakaAnko romance.

Warning: This story may contain spoilers!!! It takes place in the Shippuuden part of Naruto, after Naruto, Sakura, Sai and Yamato have tried and failed to rescue Sasuke. Please do not flame me!!!

Chap. 1: A Cloak of Mist

Mist swirls around the room- or is it a room? The space is too large, the mist too thick, for one to be certain. He smiles, knowing that the thing he is waiting for will happen soon. The mist begins to part, as a black-cloaked figure emerges from the fog. The figure kneels before him, and he smiles again.

" You have done it?" He whispers, hardly loud enough to be heard, but the cloaked figure nods.

" I have", he answers, and his voice is filled with pain and regret. It is the voice of someone who has given up.

Yet, as the cloaked figure speaks again, a shred of hope has crept into his tone.

" So, please ____-sama... could you"-

" I know what you want", he hisses. He enjoys the feeling of power he has over the cloaked figure, who attempts and fails to conceal his impatience.

" Then..." the figure whispers.

" Not yet". He answers, and his companion sags with disappointment momentarily, then forces himself to straighten.

" What must I do then?" he asks, resigned.

" There are three in the sand: Kankurou, Temari and Sabaku no Gaara. I wish for them to be... disposed of".

The man in the cloak gasps, and begins to speak.

" ________-sama, Sabaku no Gaara is a Kazekage! What will his people"-

" So what if he is a Kage? You have", he pauses, enjoying the agony emanating from the man in the cloak at his words, who groans, and clutches at his chest, slumping in the mist.

" ...gotten rid of Kages before. Well, to be honest, just the one"-

"Stop it!" screams the man in the cloak. His scream is desperate; he makes no attempt to stop the pain and despair he feels from creeping into his voice.

Immediately, the cloaked figure realizes he has pushed the other too far. He freezes, his pain turning to fear, but it is not for himself.

"Stop it?" he echoes softly, and although his words are courteous, his tone is of the snake preparing to strike.

" My, my… have you had enough? Are you going to quit? You can, you know. But then, I will have to..."

" No! Please! I am so sorry! I'll do it, I'll do it! Just don't... I'm begging you..."

He smiles with satisfaction.

" Of course you will. I'll want it done in a weeks time. Report to once your mission is complete".

Once more despair fills the cloaked man's voice, as he whispers:

" I will do what must be done", bows to his companion, and turns. He gathers his cloak around his shoulders, and strides though the mist, despair filling his every step.


	2. Death in the Sand

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I write this fanfiction purely for fun.

Summary: Mysterious killings are happening in the village-hidden-in the-sand. Tsunade sends a team consisting of Kakashi, Anko, Yamato, Naruto, Sakura and Hinata to help out the sand ninja. At Sunagakure, the konoha ninja uncover a dangerous plot. How far is Kakashi willing to go for Anko? KakaAnko romance.

Warning: This story may contain spoilers!!! It takes place in the Shippuuden part of Naruto, after Naruto, Sakura, Sai and Yamato have tried and failed to rescue Sasuke. Please do not flame me!!!

Chap. 2: Death in the Sand

The fifth hokage looked up from the large missive she was reading that had just been sent from Sunagakure, the village-hidden-in-the-sand, with a rather grim countenance. She turned to the dark-haired ninja dressed in beige coats beside her.

" This is bad", She whispered. " Send for as many chuunin and jounin-ranked ninja that we can spare. Bring them before me immediately".

________________________________________________

An hour later found six ninja, two chuunin, three jounin and one genin standing before Tsunade, about to be briefed on their next mission.

The fifth hokage looked at the ninja before her, unsure of how to begin. She opened her mouth, paused, glanced at the ninja again, and closed her mouth, only to open it a moment later. Glaring at the tall, blond boy fidgeting in front of her, she began to speak.

" I have received a letter from the Kazekage", she informed them.

" Someone has been killing Sand shinobi".

Further information was interrupted by the loud exclamation of a certain loud young genin.

" What?! That's crazy! How can they not have found

out-" Uzumaki Naruto exclaimed.

" Shut up!" screamed Tsunade, a vein pulsing dangerously on her forehead. " How am I supposed to explain your mission if you won't stop talking?!"

Haruno Sakura, the boy's teammate clapped a hand over his mouth. Naruto pouted, but ceased talking.

" Sixteen Sand ninja were found dead. There were no visible signs of injury upon the bodies, not any recognized poison found in the corpses. The Kazekage asked us to send a medical ninja to Sunagakure, to see if, because of our superior medical knowledge, we could discover how the ninja were killed".

There was a long silence, which was abruptly broken by Hatake Kakashi.

" So, you are sending Sakura to Sunagakure, and us as her guards?" the silver-haired jounin enquired.

" That is correct", Tsunade replied. " I want all of you to go to Sunagakure to try and find the murderer, and especially to examine the eight strange bodies. Kakashi is the team captain. Are there any questions?"

There was a long silence.

" Allright then", said Tsunade. " Do your best, and return with the mission complete! Dismissed!"

At this, there was a chorus of:

" Hai, Tsunade-sama!" and the ninja left the room.

Kakashi turned to address the group. "All of you, please gather your things and meet at the front gates in half an hour. We haven't got any time to lose".

They all nodded, and the three youngest ninja of the group, Sakura, Naruto and Hinata began to walk away together.

" What do you think of the murders?" Sakura asked her companions curiously.

" U-um… not m-many people could i-i-infiltrate the village h-hidden-in-the-sand", stuttered Hinata. " It p-probably has something t-to do with the Akatsuki, or O-Orochimaru".

At the mention of Orochimaru, Naruto and Sakura shuddered. They were still upset about their last failure at attempting to rescue their former friend, Uchiha Sasuke. They had actually managed to get to Orochimaru's hideout along with Sai and Yamato, only to be easily defeated by Sasuke. There wasn't much time before Orochimaru took Sasuke as his container.

Hinata shyly interrupted these rather grim thoughts.

" If Orochimaru could be involved, we m-might encounter U-Uchiha Sasuke on this mission a-as well", she pointed out.

" Wow! You're right Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed exuberantly. " Oh, hey, we're at my apartment. I'll meet you at the gates guys!"

Naruto leaped towards his apartment agily. Now that Hinata had pointed it out, there was a good chance that they might encounter Orochimaru on this mission.

He looked down at his orange and black outfit and grinned ruefully. Although he liked this new ensemble, he missed the blue and orange clothes he had worn a few years previously. The material section of his ninja headband was pretty cool, though, he had to admit. The ends were much longer than before and whipped dramatically around Naruto's face as he ran.

The blond ninja landed gracefully on the railing of the second floor of his apartment, hurriedly unlocked his door and raced inside. Naruto began tossing things onto his bed, then stuffing them into his backpack. He took an elongated pause to eat three cups of instant ramen (you could never get enough ramen), then finished packing and hitched his backpack over his shoulder. Naruto sprang over the railing and ran to join Sakura and Hinata at the corner of the street.

" Sorry about the hold-up guys. Are we still on time?" he enquired.

" Definitely", replied Sakura. " Knowing Kakashi-sensei, he's going to be here in about… two hours, I'd say".

The three walked at a leisurely pace through the streets, and came to a halt by the gates, where they saw something none of them had thought was possible. **Hatake Kakashi was on time**. More than on time, he had arrived before them. The jounin looked up nonchalantly from talking to Anko, and casually voiced the phrase which was so often directed at him.

" You're late, you three".

Hinata immediately bowed and apologized, while Naruto and Sakura stared at their sensei, mouths agape.

" Wha-" Naruto began. Sakura gasped, grabbed Naruto and Hinata and dragged them behind a tree, to Kakashi's extreme bewilderment.

" W-what are you-?" Hinata stuttered.

" Don't you see?!" Sakura half-shouted. " Can't you see it?!"

" See what?" Naruto asked grumpily. Great, he'd just washed this outfit, and now Sakura-chan had managed to cover it in dust.

" What do you mean, " See what"?! Sakura exclaimed. " Isn't it obvious?! Kakashi-sensei is in love with Anko-sensei!"

There was a long pause.

" No Sakura-chan", Naruto sneered sarcastically. " No, it's obviously **Yamato-taichou** he's in love with. Sheesh, how could you not have noticed?"

Sakura squealed. " Eee! He's in love with Yamato-taichou?! How exciting! But how can you tell?!"

Naruto and Hinata anime-sweatdroped.

" Um… I was joking Sakura-chan", Naruto informed her.

" Oh", said Sakura, looking slightly disappointed. " Oh… well…he does love Anko-sensei!"

" Yeah right", Naruto smirked. " Who would fall for a crazy chick like her?!"

" All the evidence points towards it",

Sakura said exuberantly, completely ignoring Naruto. " Has Kakashi-sensei ever been on time, as far as we know?"

" No", said Naruto immediately.

" Right", Sakura continued triumphantly. " Now, let me try something".

" Kakashi-sensei!!!" she called.

" Hai, Sakura?" the jounin asked.

" What was it that made you on time today? She shouted (rather louder than was necessary).

To Sakura's delight, two things happened. First, Kakashi actually started blushing. Second, Anko looked up and called:

" What do you mean, Sakura? Kakashi is always on time!"

" Oh, really?" Sakura trilled, " I guess Kakashi-sensei looks forwards to seeing you more than us!"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck and blushed even more.

" Huh? Hey, you're blushing Kakashi!" exclaimed Anko. " What are you blushing for?"

Kakashi looked away, hoping she would let the subject drop. Anko, was not, however, prepared to do so.

" Huh? Why? Why? Come on, you can tell me!"

" Oh, ah, nothing… nothing really".

" I don't believe that! Tell me already!"

Like magic, Anko's eyes widened and filled with tears. Her lip drooped, and she looked up at the silver-haired jounin with an expression of pure misery.

" K… Kakashi?"

The jounin leaned back, his visible eye widening slightly.

" Um… yes?"

" D-", Anko whispered. " Don't you trust me?"

" Y-yes, of course I trust you Anko", Kakashi stammered, guessing what was coming.

" Then, why won't you tell me?" Anko asked agonizingly. " Don't I mean anything to you? A… Aren't we supposed to be friends?"

" We are friends Anko!", Kakashi reassured her. " And you mean a lot to me!" He turned bright red, and tried to ignore the whistles coming from Sakura and Naruto. " It… it's just… um…".

" Waahhhh!" Anko wailed, throwing herself against Kakashi, and wrapping her arms around his neck.

" You don't trust me at all!"

Kakashi turned even redder than before. In fact, it looked like he might faint.

" I do trust you Anko, really! N-now, could you please get off of me?" he begged, trying to gently push her away.

Anko clung to the team leader even more tightly, and turned her head so that their noses were almost touching.

" Then why won't you tell me?!"

There was a sudden flash of movement, and Yamato was standing beside the other two jounin.

" Hello, sorry I'm late- oh… did I just interrupt something?"

Kakashi and Anko's faces reddened as they realized that the position they were in gave the impression that they were about to kiss.

" Yeah, yeah, we really need to get moving, so could you two just hurry up and kiss?" Naruto smirked, completely ignoring the fact that only a few minutes ago he had been scoffing at the idea of Kakashi and Anko having feelings for each other.

The two sprang apart as though they had been electrocuted.

" W-what the-?" Kakashi exclaimed.

" We w-weren't going to… to do that!" Anko gasped, her face so red that it gave the impression that she was on fire.

" Hey, Naruto", muttered Sakura to her friend.

" What is it, Sakura-chan?" the blond asked inquisitively.

" Didn't you just say that there was no way Kakashi-sensei would fall for her?"

The blonde pouted momentarily.

" Well, whatever. I couldn't pass up such a great chance to tease him!"

Sakura smirked. " Hah! I am always right!!!" cheered Inner Sakura.

" Well", said Kakashi, who was still slightly red-faced. " Let's get going then!"

And as the team stepped forwards, Anko was filled with a strange sense of uneasy foreboding.

" There's no reason for me to be worried", she told herself. However, Anko could not rid herself of the feeling that something bad was about to happen…

A.N: Hey everybody! Although it is not the first fic I've ever posted, The Traitor of Konoha is the first fic I've ever written. Therefore, reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you for reading!


	3. The Murderer Strikes

Chap.3: The Murderer Strikes

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This fanfiction is written purely for fun.

Hizuri Miyano leaves the meeting with a worried expression on his broad, normally cheerful face. None of Gaara-sama's ninjas have unearthed any clues regarding the murderer of the sand shinobi. He walks through the dusty streets of his beloved Sunagakure almost as though he is in a dream. Children no longer play in the streets. Many shops have closed, and those that are still open reveal grim-faced people with their hands firmly grasped upon swords sheathed at their sides, swords that have often hung unused upon mantelplaces before.

Sunagakure is dying.

The death count is steadily rising. Noone feels safe anymore. Miyano is one of Gaara-sama's most trusted, powerful and influential ninjas, and yet at this moment, he does not feel that he is any of this.

He feels like a powerless child, unable to do anything to save what he holds most dear from crumbling to the ground and lying forgotten in the dust.

A dark shadow flits, unseen, in his wake.

________________________________________________

Sakura flopped onto the grass by their newly-erected tents.

" Ugh"… she groaned. " That was terrible! We marched for ten hours straight without stopping! Kakashi-sensei, what did we ever do to you to deserve this?"

Naruto smirked at his pink-haired companion.

" Oh please, Sakura-chan! You can't keep with us?! I thought you'd have improved over the course off these three years!"

A pulsating vein popped up in Sakura's prominent forehead. Nonetheless, she smiled sweetly at Naruto. Kakashi, Anko, Yamato and Hinata wisely took several large steps away.

" NARUTO NO BAKA!!!!!!!!!" screamed the pink-haired girl, concentrating all of her chakra into her right fist, which she rammed into the blonde boy's face as hard as she could. Naruto went flying dramatically through the air until he smacked into a large tree trunk.

" N-Naruto-kun!!!" gasped Hinata, rushing to the genin's side.

" Ugh… I'm okay, Hinata…" Naruto groaned, getting painfully to his feet.

" More importantly, are we going to eat yet, Kakashi-sensei?"

The jounin looked up from his conversation with Anko, which he had kept up for the duration of their journey.

" Oh, right", he said. Kakashi threw Naruto, Sakura and HInata a miniscule brown pill each. He, Anko and Yamato drew similar pills from their pouches of equipment.

" What?!" Naruto shouted. " That's all?!"

Sakura glared at him.

" You think we can cook up a five-course meal on the road?!" she snapped irritably.

" But… We've made instant ramen before!" the boy whined.

Sakura made several rather obvious gestures with her head in the direction of Kakashi and Anko. Naruto continued to stare at her blankly.

Finally she let out a loud, exasperated sigh and once again dragged him and Hinata behind a tree (that's becoming a bad habit!).

" Look dobe", the girl snarled as her captives wriggled in her grasp of iron. " Kakashi-sensei and Anko-sensei are talking, so we're not going to disturb them! I've decided that it's about time Kakashi-sensei got a girlfriend, and he likes Anko-sensei! Therefore, us three are going to work together to hook them up!"

" U-um… Okay", replied Hinata, who wished to avoid any sort of conflict.

" Who said we would do anything of the kind?!" retorted Naruto, annoyed. " I don't think we'll go along with your stupid plan, right Hinata?"

" Oh… Uh…" stuttered Hinata, now stuck in between the argument.

" Nonsense, Hinata agrees with me, don't you Hinata?"

" Um…"

" Stop pushing Hinata around and forcing your opinion on her, Sakura-chan!"

" You're doing the exact same thing Naruto no baka!" snarled the rose-haired girl. Her fists tightened dangerously.

Naruto edged away worriedly.

" Well… I guess we could maybe try and help them out once in a while…" he uttered worriedly.

Like magic Sakura's fearsome scowl turned into an enormous, sweet smile.

" You two are in then? Great!" she exclaimed without waiting for an answer.

" The first part of my glorious matchmaking plan is…"

Hizuri Miyano unlocks the door to his apartment and stumbles in wearily. He pulls off his shoes, vest and weaponry, drops them in an untidy heap upon the floor and drops onto the bed, heaving a great sigh. Images from the meeting flash before his eyes.

" …_Afraid we can give you no further information, Gaara-sama… No clues… No witnesses…"_

" …_Medical squad cannot discover any clues as to how they were killed… no traces left… could have died in their sleep if there weren't so many of them…"_

" _Very well. We will have to install a curfew… Inside their homes from six o'clock at night to seven in the morning…Double the number of guard patrols…Killer __**must**__ be found…"_

Hizuri Miyano rubs his face tiredly. What are they going to do? So many deaths… so few clues… no, no clues. They have absolutely nothing to go on…

Hizuri Miyano is exhausted and half asleep, so he does not notice the dark shape that drops onto his balcony, nor hear the muttered words the cloaked figure utters, nor see the movement of the arm section of the figure's cloak moving in a manner that would suggest hand signs to a ninja.

He is oblivious to his locked balcony door quietly sliding open and shut, but a moment later he feels the breeze from this action. He rolls over lazily and freezes at the sight of the black-cloaked being advancing slowly towards him.

Hizuri Miyano's body fills with adrenaline and he springs upwards his hands reaching automatically for the weapons he has dropped on the floor.

Again the arm section of the figure's cloak moves as a jutsu is cast.

HIzuri Miyano's body is filled with a terrible, draining weakness. He falls to his knees, and as the figure places icy hands on his throat, the last thing he sees is a pair of glowing, feral eyes…

A.N.: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed/read/added to alerts/added to favorites! I'm so happy that you're enjoying this story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!


	4. Matchmaking and Murder

Chapter 4: Matchmaking and Murder

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This fanfiction is written purely for fun.

The summer sun shone brightly upon the six member konoha team as they strode to Sunagakure. Naruto and Hinata found themselves walking unhappily beside Haruno Sakura as she reminded them (in a whisper) of their parts in her (numerous) plans for coupling Kakashi and Anko.

" Now are you two sure you know what to do? Should I go over it again?" she asked them in an excited but quiet voice.

" We know what to do, Sakura-chan!" snapped Naruto, also speaking in a whisper. " You explained everything seven times!"

Sakura was wounded.

" I'm just trying to make Kakashi-sensei happy! Don't you want him to be happy?!"

" Yes… but shouldn't a twenty-nine year old man be able to catch a woman without any help?"

" Shut up! It's more exciting this way!" retorted his teammate. Her annoyed expression suddenly changed to one of horror. " Look! Yamato-taichou is going to talk to Kakashi-sensei and Anko-sensei! Hinata! Initiate part C of plan 5!"

" R-roger!" stuttered Hinata, and she stepped timidly up to Yamato.

Poor Yamato was not having the best mission of his life. Kakashi and Anko were pretty much always speaking to each other, and he felt decidedly awkward when he attempted to join in the conversation. However, when he turned to the younger three he was always pushed away by Sakura who was busy concocting plans and going over them with Naruto and Hinata.

Finally, feeling extremely exasperated, Yamato had marched over to Kakashi and Anko, intending to talk to them, when he was interrupted by Hinata.

" Y-yamato-taichou… um… w-which weapons do you p-prefer, n-nunchuks or ebo?" she inquired timidly.

Yamato, pleased at finally being approached by someone, began a lengthy, detailed explanation of the superior maneuverability of nunchuks.

Sakura smirked. (One of) her plans was working! However, to her annoyance she saw Anko turn from Kakashi (just when she had ensured that they could speak uninterrupted!) and move in her direction.

" Naruto! Initiate part E of plan 7!" she muttered, then began to converse with Anko.

" Right!" The blond boy whispered, then walked up to Kakashi.

" Hey Kakashi-sensei, don't you think that Anko-sensei is really, you know, good-looking?" he asked, smirking slightly.

If he was expecting Kakashi to blush and act flustered, however, he was sorely disappointed. The leader of team 7 merely fished the book that he had not spared a glance at once during his conversations with Anko, began to read, and answered: " Isn't she a bit old for you, Naruto?"

Naruto gagged, an expression of horror crossing his face.

" _I'm _not interested in her, sensei! I just thought, that, uh, _you_ might…"

He looked up to find Kakashi a good twenty paces ahead of him.

" Hey! Kakashi-sensei! Wait up!" he shouted, annoyed.

His teacher only turned his head to call back: " You need to hurry up Naruto! We have to reach Sunagakure!"

Naruto could only sigh and hope Sakura was faring better.

Anko looked a bit guilty, no doubt because of her having ignored every member of the team other than Kakashi for a day and a half.

" So, how are you doing Sakura?" she asked, trying to be considerate. " Not getting too tired?"

Sakura gritted her teeth. Must everyone challenge her stamina?

" Thank you Anko-sensei, I'm not tired at all!" she replied, a rather fake smile plastered across her face. " How about you? Enjoying talking to Kakashi-sensei?"

" Oh yes!" Anko smiled. " I don't get to see enough of him!" Suddenly, her happy expression morphed into one of dismay.

" Oh, are you upset that you haven't been able to speak to him too much?" she asked reluctantly and not without a hint of annoyance. " Don't you see plenty of him already? I guess I could give you a bit of time to talk him sometime-"

" NO!" shrieked Sakura. All of the team members turned to look at her curiously, and she hurriedly lowered her voice.

" I mean, uh, no! That would be unfair, you barely get to see him at all-" she hurriedly told Anko.

" Oh, alright then!" replied the older woman cheerfully, having seemed rather unwilling to allow others more time with Kakashi.

Sakura considered how best to gain the information she desired. In the end, she decided on a straightforward approach.

" Um… Anko-sensei?"

" Huh?" Anko started, shaken out of her thoughts (she had been fantasizing about trees that grew dango). " What was that?"

" We-ll", began Sakura, putting her most innocent look on her face. " I was just thinking that, with how you and Kakashi-sensei spend so much time together, maybe you, y'know, are sort of interested in him."

" Interested in him? How so?" asked Anko, bewildered.

" I mean that I sort of got the suspicion that you… y'know… like him." Sakura finished cautiously.

" Oh, I like him!" the jounin assured her cheerfully, and then crushed Sakura's spirits by continuing with: " He's a very nice friend!"  
Sakura clapped a hand to her forehead and groaned. " Just when I was getting my hopes up!" she muttered. " This isn't over, though! I've still got some ideas left!"

Ueda Keiichi sighs with relief when Takarada-san, the leader of the medical team finally calls a halt to the autopsy. The young medical ninja and his team have been investigating the body of Hizuri Miyano for over five hours, although none of them expect to find anything. The killer has left no traces, no hints as to his identity or his method of killing.

" We resume after lunch!" announces Takarada-san. " I want you all back here in forty-five minutes!"

The tired men and women move quickly for the doors of the plain white room, relief plain on their faces. Takarada turns and sees his youngest worker still gazing at the body, a thoughtful expression on his handsome visage.

" Keiichi-kun?" ventures the senior medical ninja finally. " Aren't you going to eat?"

" Oh, yes", replies the young man hurriedly. " You go on ahead. There's just something that I… want to check."

Takarada nods, a bit of hope creeping into his heart. He knows that Keiichi is a brilliant thinker, perhaps he is on the verge of discovering some clue. Unwilling to disturb the young man, he gives a quick goodbye and hurries from the room.

Keiichi takes a scanner from a table by the bedside of Miyano's corpse. Resembling a mirror in shape, when filled with concentrated chakra the scanner will show a picture of the insides of the body it is put above. It takes special concentration for one to focus it upon a certain aspect of the corpse, for example the respiratory system or the nervous system.

Keiichi focuses his chakra upon the scanner and concentrates upon the chakra circulatory system. It is in a slightly odd position, all of it seeming to be stretched towards the mouth a bit more than is usual. This is the sort of thing that would be considered slightly odd but not unusual; others investigating the body would assume that the stretched position of the system is due only to Miyano's being a ninja who may have taxed his chakra system more than is wise. Keiichi would make the same assumption if not for one thing: Keiichi has seen a chakra system in a similar abnormal position.

The other system belongs to the previous victim.

The previous victim is not a ninja and therefore can not have known how to tax his chakra system.

Keiichi's eyes widen and the scanner slips from his fingers to shatter on the floor.

The young medical ninja hurries from the room.

Though all of his co-workers have left, his exit does not go unnoticed.

A.N.: Thank you everyone for your lovely reviews! Thanks also to those who added this fic to their favorites/alerts! This chapter was ready yesterday, but for some reason I was unable to post it. I am trying to get a few more chapters typed out in advance, so my next update probably will happen in two or three days instead of one. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	5. Discovery

Chapter 5: Discovery

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This fanfiction is written purely for fun.

Ueda Keiichi sprints through the hallways of Sunagakure's hospital. He has to find Takarada-san, he has to tell him…!

What if the killer is watching him? What if he is being tracked like a hunted animal?

Suddenly everyone around him seems dangerous. Is that doctor going to pull a kunai from beneath his cloak and stab Keiichi, silencing him and the terrible truth he carries on the tip of his tongue? Is this co-worker going to betray him? Is that friend going to turn against him? Nothing feels safe anymore. Everything trusted, beloved, treasured has been polluted. All that Keiichi holds dear has been shown to him in a very different, very frightening light.

Keiichi does not like this new perspective. It makes him upset and angry. He decides he does not like this sense of fear, this sense of not knowing. He decides to exact revenge upon the killer. He decides to make Sunagakure his home once again.

Keiichi concentrates chakra to his feet, speeding up to the point that everyone he passes turn into colored blurs. He clips a startled nurse carrying a tray of food to a patient, but he ignores her cries of dismay as glass and china shatter and food splatters everywhere.

It does not occur to Keiichi that his flight only make him more suspicious and more of a target to the killer. By the time it will occur to him, it will be too late…

Naruto, Sakura and Hinata were having a top-secret conference.

They huddled behind a tree during their brief lunch break, and reported their progress (or lack thereof) to each other.

Sakura was not impressed.

" You let him walk away Naruto. You let him walk away. You could not chase after Kakashi-sensei, you could only stare at him like an idiot! And you had to bungle plan G part 5 (the anonymous love letter plan), plan L part 18 (the illusion jutsu with hearts flying everywhere plan) and plan M part 34 (the talking about how many times Kakashi-sensei saved their lives in order to impress Anko plan)!"

Hinata fidgeted uncomfortably,

" I… I'm sorry, S-Sakura-chan. I a-also ruined several p-plans…"

Sakura looked at Hinata's sweet, troubled face and immediately felt guilty.

" Oh, it's alright Hinata! Really, those plans weren't your fault, L part 18 was all Naruto ("Hey!" shouted the boy in question), D part 152 was that gust of wind, H part 95 may have been my fault a bit, R part 27…" she trailed off, realizing that she was not helping.

" It's okay Hinata, really!" exclaimed Naruto, slinging an arm around her shouler. The girl immediately turned a bright shade of red. " We all know that you've been working really hard. " I promise you that our next plan will work!"

" A-alright", stammered Hinata, willing to go along with anything Naruto said.

Sakura smiled to herself as she turned politely away from them. Why hadn't she ever thought of pairing Naruto and Hinata up? They were so good for each other, and pairing them would get Naruto off her back…

" Whoa girl!" she told herself. " One thing at a time!" She was then shaken from her delusions by Naruto's voice calling to her distantly.

" –kura-chan? Sakura-chan?"

" Huh?" she asked, startled. The young medical ninja quickly turned around.

Naruto (to her great satisfaction) seemed to have forgotten to take his arm off of a blushing Hinata, and was looking at her in a questioning way.

" Oh, sorry, did you ask me something?"

" Yes", relied Naruto, looking slightly annoyed. " I said, what plan should we use next? This one has got to work out!"

" Hmm…" Sakura thought for a moment. Something nice and subtle, but very romantic…

" Plan O part 225!" she announced. " Let me explain it to you…"

There are two cafeterias in Sunagakure's hospital. Both are situated at different ends of the building. One of these two cafeterias is where it would be most probable for Takarada-san to be.

Ueda Keiichi skids to a stop at the doorway of the first one. Panting, he gazes around the room frantically-

Takarada-san is not there.

Groaning, the young medical ninja whips around and begins to resume his sprint when he spots one of his co-workers.

" Mogami-senpai!" he gasps.

" Keiichi-Kun?" the woman exclaims, startled at his disheveled appearance. " What on earth have you been doing?!"

" That's not important!" Keiichi replies. " Where is Takarada-san? I have to speak to him!"

Mogami Himeka is surprised, but after a moment she answers: " He's eating at cafeteria two today-"

And Ueda Keiichi is already gone.

The Konoha ninjas found themselves at the edge of the desert of Sunagakure about two hours after their lunch break and were once again taking pausing to rest and refill their water bottles at a small oasis.

Sakura waited for a moment until Kakashi and Anko had wandered off a small distance from the remainder of the group, then took a deep breath and began to sing a loud rendition of " Can you feel the love tonight".

Unfortunately, this ploy, (plan O part 225), which was designed to get the two jounin in question into a romantic mood did not work exactly as planned. Sakura's voice had a slightly screechy quality from hours of shrieking at Naruto. This, coupled with her being out of breath from their hard journey, as well as her throat being dry did not make for a particularly romantic song.

" Stop it Sakura-chan!" hissed Naruto under his breath. " It's not working!"

Sakura trailed off to glare at him.

" Can you do any better Naruto no baka?!" she snarled.

Naruto blanched at the thought of being forced to sing.

" Uh, that is, I…"

" I didn't think so!"

" L-look!" exclaimed Hinata (actually, it was more of a loud whisper than an exclamation). " They're m-moving away together!"

" What?!" gasped Sakura, her horrified expression turning into one of disbelieving glee.

" Your singing scared them off Sakura-chan!" Naruto laughed.

" What are we waiting for?!" Sakura asked, generously choosing to ignore him. " Let's follow them!" And she hurried off after the two jounin. Naruto and Hinata, although loath to be caught spying on the two were also eager to see what transpired and ran after Sakura, deserting Yamato for the millionth time.

Kakashi and Anko had halted behind the shade of several large trees which shielded them (so they thought) from the remainder of the group. Anko sat upon a mossy rock and Kakashi stood in the shallow part of the water, staring out into the distance.

There was a pause, then Anko spoke up.

" This is a lovely place", she said quietly.

" That is true", answered Kakashi, with his back still to her.

Anko hesitated, then slid from the rock and walked up onto the bank behind him.

" What are you looking at?" she asked softly.

Still Kakashi did not turn around. " Myself", he replied after a moment.

" Your reflection?" Anko asked.

" No", was the quiet answer. " Myself and my reflection are different things".

" Do you like what you see?" the purple-haired kunoichi enquired.

Kakashi whirled around suddenly. He gazed up into Anko's eyes and for a moment some anguished, terrifying expression shone from his eyes.

" I hate it", he whispered vehemently. Anko paused, another expression on her face, the helpless look of a bystander unable to intervene in events that pain them, that leave them with scars they shall bear for all of their life.

" Let me help you", she told him quietly, her hands reaching down to cup the sides of his face. In that moment she was a guardian angel reaching down to comfort a tortured soul, all of the good in the world embodied in one woman trying to help someone she obviously cared for.

Kakashi stared up at her, that broken expression still showing in his normally calculatedly blank eyes.

" Let me help you", Anko whispered again, and then she suddenly burst out with emotion. Tears flowed down her face. " Oh god Kakashi, you don't need to be alone! Don't you understand that?! I'll help you! You don't need to suffer alone!"

Kakashi flinched, and began to pull away, but Anko tightened her grasp.

" No Kakashi, I'm not letting you go on ignoring your own pain! I'm not letting you turn away without saying anything! Look at me, dammit!"

Kakashi's eyes snapped back to her, and the force of his gaze startled her into stepping back slightly.

" Fine Anko! What do you want me to say?!" He exclaimed. " Because I can't tell you any of it! You can't help me!" And then, softly: " I can't let you get hurt".

And he pulled out of her grasp, sending the kunoichi spinning into the water.

For a moment the pair's eyes met. Kakashi hesitated, took a step towards Anko, then turned and hurried away leaving a hurt, confused, soaking wet kunoichi in his wake.

Naruto, Sakura and Hinata stared at each other, bewildered.

" What the hell just happened?!" whispered Naruto.

Ueda Keiichi continues his mad dash through the halls of Sunagakure's hospital. He has to get there, he has to find Takarada-san-

And then suddenly, the object of his search is standing, startled, before him.

Keiichi barely manages to stop himself. All of the momentum he has gained is pushing him forwards but he is able to halt before his superior.

" Takarada-san!" he gasps. " I need to talk to you! It's-it's urgent!"

" Calm down Keiichi-kun!" the older medical ninja exclaims. " What is it?"

" In-private", pants the young man. " I need to-tell you in private".

" Alright", answers Takarada-san, guiding Keiichi towards an empty hallway, an arm around his co-worker, a worried expression on his face.

In cafeteria two Takarada Hikaru, Ueda Keiichi's senior medic sips from a glass of juice as he speaks to another senior medical ninja.

Glancing at the clock he wonders hopefully if Keiichi-kun is making any progress with these blank, clueless corpses. That boy really is such a talented medic. Takarada-san turns back to his conversation, a polite smile on his face.

A.N.: Alright, here is chapter 5! I know the oasis scene with Kakashi and Anko was rather emotional, but I hope you still liked it. Also, I've noticed that there are some ghost readers who have added TTOK to their alert list but have not reviewed. Please do review everyone, it really is nice to see that you like my story! Special thanks to mosherguy18, DarkHeartsUnleashed and Colonel Hatake for your lovely reviews. Thank you for reading!


	6. Dying

Chapter 6: Dying

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This fanfiction is written purely for fun.

Ueda Keiichi and Takarada-san enter an empty room and the older man fills Keiichi a glass of water.

" Takarada-san", the young man gasps. " The killer-his technique-"

" Wait Keiichi-kun", orders his superior. " Stop and catch your breath. Drink some water".

Obediently Keiichi lifts the glass to his lips then sucks in great mouthfuls of air after his drink.

" I know-", he pants. " I know how the murderer kills!"

" What?!" exclaims Takarada-san. " That's incredible Keiichi-kun! How did you figure it out?!"

" The chakra system was stretched-" Keiichi breaks off suddenly. Takarada-san is staring at him with rapt attention, an encouraging, kind expression on his face. But his eyes… they are not the gentle eyes of Takarada-san. These eyes are hard and calculating.

Keiichi backs away, horror on his face.

" You- you're not Takarada-san!"

And the imposter advances.

The Konoha ninja advanced through the desert towards Sunagakure, five of them wrapped up in melancholy memories of what had previously transpired and one of them wrapped up in confused wonder as to why his traveling companions were suddenly so untalkative.

The walls of the village hidden in the sand were now visible to the six.

" Why?!" wondered Sakura. " I'm sure he has feelings for her! Why did Kakashi-sensei push her away?!"

" I don't understand. I thought he cared about me… why?" thought Anko, anguished.

" It was the only way", Kakashi reminded himself. " It was… the only way…"

" Do I smell bad or something?" wondered Yamato, perplexed. " Why is everyone avoiding me? And why do I have the feeling they know something I don't?"

" Why didn't sensei make a move?" thought Naruto, perplexed. " If Sakura liked me I would definitely go after her! I don't get it!"

" Kakashi-sensei seemed so unhappy", Hinata reflected. " Why won't he take his chance at happiness?"

It was in this miserable silence that the group reached the tall, sandy cliffs marking the entrance to Sunagakure. Dust blew all around them making the group feel constantly dirty and irritable as well as getting in their eyes and noses and mouths and hair, therefore being a general nuisance.

They were almost at the opening to the cliffs when there was a flash of movement and ten crouched figures surrounded them.

" Freeze!" exclaimed a female voice from the ninja directly in front of them. Suddenly the thick, obscuring cloud of sand dropped away to reveal a tall, grim-faced woman and her equally somber comrades.

" What's your business in Sunagakure?" the woman snapped. Kakashi stepped forwards.

" We come from Konohagakure no sato", he informed the woman calmly. " Gaara-sama requested our hokage to send a medic, this is Haruno no Sakura". And he gestured at the pink-haired girl.

The woman gave Sakura an appraising look.

" Doesn't look like much of a ninja", she remarked, a dark, almost cruel glint in her eye. " Are you sure she knows what she's doing?"

Fury lit up Sakura's face, and Kakashi was quick to interject.

" Sakura has been trained by Tsunade-sama herself", the silver-haired jounin informed her. " I can assure you that she is more than capable".

The woman looked dubious.

" If you say so", she responded. " Follow me, and no talking".

The Konoha ninja were thus herded towards Sunagakure, caged in between the silent ninja of the sand.

When they entered the village, it was much altered than in had been when they had first visited. The streets were deserted, many windows were boarded up. Everything seemed in great disrepair. When Naruto gazed around wildly in horrified wonderment he was sharply ordered to keep his eyes "facing forwards".

Guards with the same cold, dark look as the ninja who greeted them paced the empty streets, fear in their eyes.

They reached the kazekage's building in what seemed like a lifetime. The building was seemed as empty and dull as the rest of the village despite the numerous people moving about it. There were six guards standing outside the kazekage's office. Their escort had to answer several questions to ascertain that she was whom she looked like, and then they were admitted into the room.

Gaara's office was poorly lit. It seemed dusty and isolated. The numerous scrolls sitting on the dark, simple desk appeared blank and utterly unremarkable. The few potted plants about the room were drooping and slightly shriveled.

Gaara himself had the same half-dead, washed-away appearance of the rest of the village and of his people. When he looked up the small, weary smile he gave them brought no emotion to his unchangingly blank eyes.

" Ah, the Konoha ninja", he remarked. " Thank you for your quick arrival". Turning to the woman who had escorted them he said quietly: " Thank you Ayame-san. You may leave".

Ayame bowed and left the room.

" I must thank you again for kindly providing assistance to us", Gaara told them after a pause. " The situation here is more dire than I can ever express".

" It is an honor to us that you have asked our village for assistance Gaara-sama", Kakashi told him. " We will do our best to help resolve this matter".

Gaara gave another weary smile. " Your help is gratefully accepted Kakashi-san", the kazekage told him. " Allow me to explain-"

But he was cut off by the sudden entrance of the sand jounin known as Baki.

" Gaara-sama!" the man exclaimed. " We have more news-" the kazekage's former team leader broke off. " Oh, my apologies!" He began.

" It is alright", Gaara told him gently, a look crossed between fear and resignation in his eyes. " What is your news?"

Baki's eyes slid shut for a moment, pain on his face. " Another body has been found, Gaara-sama", he whispered.

Gaara covered his face in his hands. " Who was it this time?" the kazekage asked, that same defeated look on his face.

" Ueda Keiichi, the medic", Baki replies softly. " He was last seen sprinting through the halls of Sunagakure. It is believed that he had made some discovery because he stopped Mogami Himeka, a co-worker of his, in the hallway to ask her where Takarada Hikaru was. Takarada Hikaru is…"

" The leader of our investigation", breathed Gaara. For the first time, a bit of life flickered in his eyes. Then: " But he did not reveal anything of what he may have learned?" the kazekage asked, and the flicker crumbled into ash.

" I'm afraid not Gaara-sama", the jounin replied.

" Have you left the body exactly where it is?" the young man asked. " Untouched?"

" Yes Gaara-sama", Baki responded. " I came right to you, none of our medics have gone near it yet".

Gaara turned to the Konoha ninja. " I would like to let you rest and have you begin your investigation tomorrow. But…"

" We understand", Sakura replied. " Please show me to the body".

" Thank you Sakura-san", Gaara told her, tired gratitude on his face. The ninja began to trail out of the room, but Naruto waited behind with the kazekage until they were alone.

" Gaara", he whispered, horror upon his face. " What the hell has happened to you?!"

Gaara looked up at him and smiled weakly. " You can't tell, Naruto? This killer has sucked the lifeblood of Sunagakure from the village: hope. The village hidden in the sand is dying… therefore so am I".

The murderer walks the corridors of Sunagakure disguised. Everyone his path crosses glances at him tiredly and then their eyes slide away.

He is invisible.

He is invincible.

A.N.: Wow, what a depressing chapter! I know it was a bit short, but I hope you liked it nonetheless. The next bit should get a bit more interesting. Please keep reading, and please keep reviewing!


	7. Chaos in the Library

Chapter 7: Chaos in the library

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This fanfiction is written purely for fun.

Haruno Sakura gazed upon the corpse of Ueda Keiichi. The young man's eyes were filled with horror as they gazed up at the place where the murderer must have been.

Sakura felt all the pressures of her position. So many medical ninja had failed before at trying to unravel this grisly puzzle. An entire village was counting upon her. Although, she thought still unable to remove her gaze from Keiichi, perhaps one of them might have figured something out… and look what happened to him.

The pink-haired kunoichi turned to the tray of medical instruments provided for her. The weight of the rest of the ninja's eyes resting upon her, Sakura checked for poison, heart attack, stroke, disease or any trace of physical attack. After a long and grueling search she was still none the wiser as to how the murderer had killed. It was like the young victim before her had passed away in his sleep.

Sakura reached for the chakra scanner. She checked Keiichi's head first, paying special attention to his brain. It seemed perfectly normal. She scanned down, looking at all of the vital organs, especially the heart and lungs. The circulatory, digestive and respiratory systems seemed perfectly normal. The chakra system was a bit stretched, but that was the sort of thing you would often find with a ninja.

Sakura finally turned to face the other ninja. She could find no indication of how the victim had died, but…

" Please show me the other bodies", she told Gaara. " And I'd like this one brought along".

… She was not ready to give up.

The killer watches the young pink-haired medic from Konoha. So far it seems that she has unearthed no clues, but if she does find something… he will have to take care of her.

The Konoha ninja retired for the night tired and discouraged. Sakura had, like the sand ninja, come up with no clues as to how so many people had been killed. The young kunoichi tried not to show how discouraged she felt, but she was upset. She quietly went out to the balcony of her room.

She had failed. Once again, she had failed. She had let the team down. The entire journey here had been for nothing.

A tear trickled down her cheek.

She felt a hand rest gently on her shoulder and Sakura looked up to see Kakashi-sensei come sit beside her.

" Don't cry Sakura", he told her, a gently smile on (what she could see of) his face. " If an entire team of medics more advanced than you with more training were unable to solve a problem you shouldn't expect yourself to be able to find the solution".

The tears she had been struggling to slow now streamed down her face.

" I'm Tsunade-sama's apprentice Kakashi-sensei", she sobbed. " I should be able to do-something! What was all my training for? I'm still nothing but a hindrance!"

Kakashi sighed. " Sakura, you are far from that. You are smart and hard working and you need to give yourself a chance. Even if you can't resolve this it doesn't make you a failure".

Sakura looked up at him finally.

" Thank you sensei", she whispered. " You've made up my mind".

" How so?" asked Kakashi, the same encouraging look on his face.

" I have decided", Sakura told him softly but with determination, " that I will not leave this village until I have stopped this murderer".

Kakashi paused, a strange expression showing in his eyes.

" I'm very proud of you Sakura", he told her quietly, and then he left.

That night Sakura did not sleep. She stayed up late writing notes, trying to recall any situation similar to the one she was faced with and recording details from the bodies she had viewed.

The next morning the Konoha ninja woke early and went to breakfast together. Kakashi and Sakura were the last out of their rooms to meet with the rest of the group. To everyone's surprise, Anko did not go over to Kakashi and begin talking to him. Instead, she turned to Yamato.

" Did you sleep well Yamato-kun?" she asked, a sweet smile on her face. She edged a bit closer to him than usual.

Yamato took a step back, looking slightly alarmed.

" Um, yes thanks", he replied.

Anko's smile widened.

" Oh good", she told him. " I was hoping you and I could do some research into this case today".

" Uh", began Yamato, his alarmed look increasing in intensity.

Anko did not let him finish. She hooked her arm through his and began to set off towards the cafeteria.

" Wonderful, I've been wanting to spend more time with you", she told him, still smiling in a slightly demented manner.

Yamato threw a glance over his shoulder at Kakashi, looking rather guilty and extremely confused. The copy ninja's face was turned away, and his fists were clenched. Nonetheless, he turned to the younger three members of the group, an obviously forced smile upon his face.

" They've provided us with lovely rooms, haven't they?" he remarked in an overly cheerful manner.

The tense look was still upon his face.

After a rather uncomfortable breakfast, Sakura went to the library while the rest of the group hovered around and tried to help her but mostly got in the way. She pulled book after book from the shelves, a look of concentration on her face.

This was one time, she told herself, that Haruno Sakura would prove her skill and competence once and for all!

Anko gave Yamato her most alluring smile as she leaned forwards from her seat on a library table and pretended to be listening to him stutter about some random subject. She glanced sideways at where she had last seen Kakashi. Was he watching her? Was he writhing with envy?

The kunoichi slid closer to Yamato.

Kakashi gave Naruto his most calm, relaxed smile as he flipped through various medical books and pretended to read what they said. He glanced sideways at where he knew Anko was busily flirting with Yamato. Was she watching him? Was she seeing how much pain he was in?

The jounin slid farther from the youngest three ninja.

Anko rose gracefully to her feet and circled around Yamato, acting like she was focused on him when in reality all of her attention was centered on the dashing man watching them from between the stacks of books. He had moved towards them. She glided closer and closer to Yamato. His breath tickled her skin as she placed her arms around his neck-

Kakashi paced gracefully through the library and through rows of books, acting like he was focused on discovering an elusive tome when in reality all of his attention was centered on the charming woman by the library table. She had moved towards Yamato. He glided closer and closer to them. His breath caught in his throat as he saw their faces move closer-

Anko was almost kissing him but she hesitated, torn between anger and guilt, when the world exploded into chaos. Books flew everywhere and the shelf they had rested upon toppled towards her and Yamato. She threw herself away just in time to avoid being hurt, and from the corner of her eye she saw a silver-haired shadow flitting away…

Kakashi was almost angry enough to pull out a kunai and slit the younger man's throat but he hesitated, torn between anger and guilt, then he concentrated chakra into his palms and knocked over the bookshelf in front of him. Books flew everywhere and the shelf nearly squished the two ninja, but both escaped just in time. He quickly slipped away and from the corner of his eye he was a purple-haired angel leaping through the air…

A.N.: Hi everyone, I'm so sorry I didn't update sooner! We've got some company at my place at the moment so I'm afraid that I won't be able to update as regularly as before for a few more days. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, please keep those reviews coming! Thank you for reading!


	8. Up in Smoke

Chapter 8: Up in Smoke

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This fanfiction is written purely for fun.

The dark wooden desk stood inside a fairly large, attractive room. Dust motes twirled through the air in the streams of sunlight that poured through the large, open windows. Several paintings hung upon the walls, and a few desert plants stood in pots in the corners of the room.

Upon the top of the desk reposed scattered sheets of paper with hastily scribbled notes and calculations scrawled on them. Numerous books were piled up in a precarious pile, and one was lying open, a young woman's head resting upon it.

The young woman had a head of bright pink hair, a pretty but currently tired face and eyes that, although they were closed at the moment, were a brilliant shade of green. Her clothes were rumpled from her having slept at the desk for several hours.

The window opened soundlessly. For a moment the sunlight was blocked out of the room by a dark silhouette.

The girl at the desk stirred.

The figure paused, and a halo of golden sunlight crept into the room around him. He slid slowly from the window and to the side of the wall.

The girl's movements stilled.

After a long moment of observation the figure stepped gently, carefully towards her. He crawled under the window pane then straightened up in front of her. He reached out a cunning hand and slid the book she was using as a pillow from under her head, swiftly replacing it with another.

The figure looked at the title of the tome, then read a section of the page it had been open at. He relaxed slightly, and set the book back on the desk. He turned next to the enormous piles of paper on the desk and noted the contents of the top few pages. The figure breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

The girl had no idea what she was looking for. She had no idea how the murderer killed or who the murderer was. The figure turned to glance over his shoulder at the open window, and as he turned around to straighten everything he had examined his eye feel upon a diagram lying upon the floor. He scooped it up in one swift movement and uttered a swift curse.

He reached for a weapon, then paused.

Once again the figure quickly replaced the book the young woman slept on so nimbly that she did not stir. He returned the desk to an exact replica of its former state of chaos. Then he turned to the diagram still grasped lightly in his hand. He was about to replace it when a gust of wind rushed through the room scattering papers left right and centre.

The girl's eyes fluttered open.

Quickly the figure darted out of the room the second she sat up, a startled expression on her face.

Haruno Sakura jumped up and hurried to the window, which she slammed shut. Her hand paused upon the latch, which she remembered checking to ensure she'd locked the previous night. An alarmed look crossed her face.

She stretched out with her chakra, trying to find any traces of the intruder's chakra but could discover nothing. Whoever had been there was gone.

Slowly she gathered up all of the spilled papers, not letting her guard down for one second. She studied each one carefully, checking to make sure every paper was still there.

Sakura paused at the end of her examination, her brow furrowed with concentration. Her hands suddenly lost their grip on the pile of papers which fluttered forgotten to the ground.

Her diagram was missing.

" Interesting", she whispered.

" How did this happen again?" Yamato mumbled to himself, his arms full of various articles of feminine clothing.

" Yamato-kun, does this dress make me look fat?" Anko asked worriedly, stepping out of change room.

Yamato tried valiantly to keep the disgust from his face.

" Um, no, not at all", he replied, knowing that there was only one good answer to this question. This knowledge had, unfortunately, been acquired the hard way after four relationships that had turned out less than ideally.

" Are you sure?" Anko replied, twirling around in front of the mirror of the store, her black leather/lace/silver chain/spiked dress billowing out around her.

" Oh, definitely", Yamato replied, attempting not to seem repulsed. " It-uh- is actually quite- …slimming?"

Anko whirled around indignantly.

" Not that you need it!" He exclaimed quickly, beginning to back away.

" Oh, allright then!" the kunoichi chirped instantly. She turned to the salesman. " I'll take it!" she exclaimed.

He nodded. " That will be 8 000 yen miss", he replied.

Yamato remembered failed relationship number 3 and began to edge away.

" Right", Anko answered cheerfully. Her companion had, unluckily, not edged away quickly enough.

" Yamato-kun?" she asked him quickly, a sweet smile lighting up her face. " Would you buy it for me?"

" Uh", he replied, trying to think of a way to refuse delicately.

Anko fiddled with one of the dress's spiky armbands, wrapping one of the chains around her arm. A menacing glint appeared in her eyes.

" Sure", Yamato agreed weakly.

" Great!" his companion exclaimed. " Thank you Yamato-kun, you're so sweet!"

" Don't I know it", he griped under his breath, pulling out his wallet.

" Yamato-kun?"

The young ANBU ninja turned back to Anko. Her eyes were deceptively wide and innocent.

" Would you treat me to lunch afterwards?"

Yamato groaned (inwardly).

" Perhaps a jutsu attacking the nervous system might-" Takarada Hikaru broke off from his discussion with his colleagues.

Was that smoke he smelled? Smoking was prohibited inside the hospital!

Annoyed, he excused himself and stepped outside, getting his most terrifying face ready as he prepared himself to lecture whatever unlucky person who had dared to defy hospital regulations. What he saw made the words die in his mouth.

Takarada bolted back inside the room.

" FIRE!" he shouted. " THE HOSPITAL IS ON FIRE!"

45 minutes later, Sakura stepped up to Takarada who stood outside the burning hospital building.

" Takarada-san, has anyone been hurt?" she enquired. The senior ninja turned to face her tiredly.

" No Sakura-san, everyone was evacuated safely. But…"

" Yes?" she asked.

" The corpses of those killed by this murderer… they were not removed. Our only clues have literally gone up in smoke".

It was a quiet and depressed group of ninjas that met for dinner that night.

Sakura pushed her food around her plate listlessly, her mind in an entirely different place. Mentally she was back in the room where all of the corpses had been lined up for her to examine.

" Think Sakura!" she told herself. " Why would the murderer want to get rid of the bodies?"

It was too much of a coincidence that her evidence had been destroyed. There had to be some reason…

Kakashi grappled desperately for something to say. His gaze slid over to Anko. She was sitting next to Yamato, her chair rather close to his and her legs crossed in his direction. He noticed that she wore a light layer of makeup today and she wore a small pair of silver earrings dangled from her earlobes. Without thinking he voiced his thoughts: " You look nice today, Anko-san".

Immediately everyone was staring right at him. Kakashi was glad of his mask as he felt a blush glowing on his cheeks. He hurriedly looked away.

" Thank you", replied Anko after a moment, sounding startled but pleased.

" Um, excuse me", Kakashi said quickly, hurriedly picking up his tray and leaving the table.

After a moment of stunned surprise the remaining members of the group turned back to their meals.

" So, Sakura-chan", began Naruto, attempting to get a conversation going. " How is your investigation going?"

Sakura glared at him.

" Oh, just great Naruto, just great", she replied sarcastically. " Apart from having absolutely no clues, completely unmarked bodies with no traces of poison or disease which have now burned up and no doubt little time before the murderer tries to kill again, it's going wonderfully!"

" Sorry, sorry", Naruto mumbled, turning away. He knew better than to argue with Sakura when she was this testy. Sheesh, was it her time of the month or something-

" Um", began Hinata, interrupting his thoughts. " D-did anything ever c-come of that d-diagram you said you'd l-lost?"

Sakura froze, her fork clattering noisily onto her plate.

" Of course", she breathed. " The diagram. How could I be so stupid?!" she jumped up from the table, then turned to Hinata. " Thank you so much Hinata!" she exclaimed. " That clarifies everything!" And with that the pink-haired kunoichi left quickly, leaving the remainder of the table surprised and confused yet again.

Sakura made her way quickly to her new office, switched on the light and snatched a book from the shelf. She opened it to the index and ran her finger along the page until she found the page number of what she wanted. Sakura hurriedly flipped to the page she had copied her diagram from.

" This is it!" she whispered. " Here is how the murderer kills!"

And she was not alone in the room.

A.N.: Hi everybody! I'm so sorry this update is so much slower than my other ones! Our company has left, so I'll be able to update sooner now. I hope you liked this chapter! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, please keep them coming! Twentieth review gets a dedication!


	9. Royal Flush

Chapter 9: Royal Flush

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This fanfiction is written purely for fun.

_This chapter is dedicated to _imafish_, who gave me my twentieth review._

Sakura stared at the paper, filled with excitement. This was it! She knew!

And then, suddenly, her proud thrill disappeared and was replaced with the terror of a hunted animal. Why had she been so obvious about her discovery?! Why couldn't she have come here calmly and looked at the book in an offhand manner?! Sakura jumped up nimbly, the book collapsing to the ground in a heap. The young kunoichi snatched a kunai from her pouch and assumed a ready position. From between the few rows of books provided for her, she could feel the presence of another.

" Who's there?!" she shouted. " Show yourself!"

Her words echoed eerily throughout the room. No reply was given. Sakura bent her knees and leapt onto the top of the bookshelf she stood behind. There was a dark flash of movement a few shelves away.

Sakura started to walk along the shelf then turned suddenly and flung herself through the air, tossing shuriken and kunai at where she had seen the figure move.

The black-cloaked shape jumped to the side just in time, deflecting several of the weapons with a kunai of its own.

He turned towards the door.

" Oh no you don't!" exclaimed Sakura, pushing off of a bookshelf and leaping towards him. She raised a fist, concentrating her chakra into the one hand when the figure whirled around and jumped at her. She was in a vulnerable position, being unable to maneuver in midair.

The figure's kunai glinted dangerously…

Anko sighed as she lay on her bed, feeling tired but completely unable to sleep. Kakashi's words kept ringing through her head: " Fine Anko! What do you want me to say? Because I can't tell you any of it! You can't help me! I can't let you get hurt". " You look nice today, Anko-san".

" …Can't tell you any of it…"

" …You can't help me!"

" …Can't let you get hurt…"

" …Look nice today, Anko-san…"

" …Can't tell…"

" …Can't help…"

" …Can't let…"

" Look nice…"

Anko groaned and rolled over. It was no good, the voices wouldn't stop. She finally stood up. Anko would have to talk to Kakashi and learn why he was acting the way he was before she'd be able to get any sleep. He had hurt her so much, yet… yet the prospect of being without him was far more painful.

The purple-haired kunoichi stood up and padded over to the door. She hesitated once, glancing back into the room, then opened the door to find herself face to face with Kakashi whose hand was raised to knock.

" Oh!" the two exclaimed in unison.

There was a lengthy, awkward pause.

" Um…" Kakashi finally ventured. He hesitated for a moment, caught up in Anko's eyes.

That perplexed expression on her face was adorable. And the way she bit her lip when she was confused… Hmm, was she waving her hand in front of his face? She smelled sweet, like lavender and chocolate… Was she saying his name now? She sounded a bit annoyed… her voice was so beautiful… he could listen to it for hours…

" KAKASHI!!" shrieked Anko.

Sakura swung wildly at her attacker. If he was able to incapacitate her for even a few seconds she would be finished. The figure caught her arm before it made contact with him and threw her at the wall. With a loud bang it exploded into shards of concrete and sand. Sakura was flying through the space where the wall had been when something hit her in the back of her head…

And as she collapsed in midair she saw the figure raise its kunai behind her…

Kakashi glanced sheepishly at where Anko sat beside him. After she had finally managed to bring him back to reality he had recalled that he had been sent to ask her if she wanted to play a game of poker with the other konoha ninja. The copy ninja (with great difficulty) ceased observing his teammate and brought his attention back to his cards.

" F-full house", stammered Hinata, laying out her cards.

" One pair", Naruto announced, grimacing.

" Two pair", Yamato uttered, tossing down his hand.

" Four of a kind", Anko uttered, smirking. She had the highest card so far, and surely noone would be able to beat four of a kind…

Kakashi leaned back casually, slowly lowering his cards.

" Royal Flush", he pronounced, as if it was the sort of hand you got everyday.

Then they heard the explosion.

Sakura lay on the ground, dazed. Her vision was fuzzy, but she saw the cloaked figure raise a hand, the kunai almost glowing with an aura of death. She feebly raised her arms, trying to shield herself slightly. She was beginning to regain her thought process, but only in time to realize that it was too late…

narrowly avoiding being flattened by a block of concrete…

The ninja immediately tensed up. They sprang to their feet and the table they had been playing poker on was overturned.

Naruto led the way out of the room and through the stairwell. A thick cloud of dust hung in the air and they were barely able to see anything. There were loud crashes and bangs for several long moments in which the team hung back, fearful of being hit by airborne debris.

Then all was silent…

The figure's arm tensed and the kunai hung, motionless, for one heart stopping moment. Then the weapon shuddered and began to drop-

-Sakura squeezed her eyes shut-

And she felt nothing. The young kunoichi finally cracked open one eye to see the back of her opponent as he turned away.

Sakura stared after him uncomprehendingly. He was… letting her go? He was letting her go? He was letting her go?!

" Wait!" she gasped, sitting up painfully. A bolt of fear shot through her again as the figure turned to face her questioningly.

Sakura took a deep breath, swallowed (which did not help her parched throat) and one of the many questions she had for this strange nemesis of hers.

" Why?"

The figure paused for a moment, staring at her, then he turned and left, having given her no reply but plenty of new questions.

" Is she gonna be okay?" Naruto asked the Suna medic quietly.

Takarada Hikaru turned to him wearily.  
" Physically she will heal", he responded. " Of that I have no doubt. But…"

" But what?!" exclaimed Naruto impatiently.

" She's just… so quiet. You might-might set a tray of food beside her and she'll blink and say thank you… but she's so… so different. Different than she was before… so full of hope. So strong and determined. Now it seems like her spirit has… has just died. Like there's a body that's still moving and breathing but the part of her that made her… made her _her_… it's _gone_…"

The blond ninja stared up at Takarada for a moment. In an instant his face flashed through pain, crushing despair then a spark of determination. That spark refused to go out. It slowly swelled into a roaring fire. Naruto's face was resolute as he declared: " I want to see her".

Takarada looked worried. " I… I wouldn't recommend it, Naruto-kun-"

" I've… already lost a teammate", the genin uttered quietly. " I refuse to lose another one".

Takarada sighed. He could see that he would be unable to sway the boy on this point.

" Very well", he responded quietly, turning and opening the door to Sakura's room. " But be warned… you won't like what you see".

Naruto entered the room unfalteringly.

The room was bright and cheerful-looking. The light grey curtains had been flung open and rays of sunlight invaded the chamber. The walls were a plain white with a painting of a cactus with a large pink flower blooming on its front hanging from one of them.

Sakura's bed was made of the usual steel frame enclosing simple white sheets and a grey blanket. Naruto's teammate wore a white hospital gown. She was sitting up in bed, her eyes staring blankly at the painting of the cactus.

Naruto hesitated, then stepped forwards.

" Hello Sakura-chan", he greeted quietly.

A.N.: Hello everybody! Thank you for your reviews, it makes my day reading them! I've got a busy stretch ahead of me, the school play which I'm in goes up in roughly two weeks so I won't have as much time to update here. I'll try to post lots, though. I should be able to get a chapter up this weekend. Thanks so much for reading, I hope you liked this chapter!


	10. The Traitor of Konoha

Chapter 10: The Traitor of Konoha

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This fanfiction is written purely for fun.

Sakura looked up at her teammate slowly, a blank expression clouding her face like a storm cloud blocks the sun. For a moment a flash of recognition showed in her eyes, then it vanished like the last few beams of sunshine before a storm.

" Oh, hello", she responded quietly.

Naruto stared at her uncertainly. When he didn't say anything more, Sakura slowly transferred her gaze back to the painting of the cactus. After a pause, the blond genin spoke again.

" How are you feeling Sakura-chan?"

She blinked for a moment, seeming slightly startled, then glanced back at him again.

" Well, thank you" was the quiet, polite answer.

Once more Naruto stared at her in uncertain confusion. Finally gathering his resolve, his voice shaking slightly with fear the boy asked: " Sakura-chan… you know who I am… don't you?"

Confusion passed over Sakura's face.

" Of course I do", she protested gently. " You're Uzumaki Naruto, my teammate".

Naruto stared on at her in confusion. Who was this soft- spoken girl before him? So quiet, so lifeless, the sort of person who could easily fade into the background. This was not the loud, forceful Sakura-chan he knew so well and cared about so much! He didn't know the strange girl in this hospital bed.

But Sakura must still be there somewhere! Naruto couldn't believe that she was completely gone. He couldn't give up.

" Sakura-chan… what happened to you?" he almost whispered.

The pink-haired girl looked up at him. Again, a flash of recognition crossed her face, and pain shone from her eyes. But before her teammate could take advantage of this lapse, the blank look was back in her eyes, like it had never been gone.

" I don't know what you mean Naruto", she responded quietly.

The blond boy quietly left the room, tears sliding down his face.

The konoha ninja ate in a heavy, leaden silence that night. Anko, Yamato and Hinata busily averted their gazes from those of Kakashi and Naruto. They all finished eating rather quickly and left together. The oldest three of the now depleted group retired immediately, however, Hinata paused in her doorway and observed Naruto continuing down the hallway. She hesitated, then followed him quietly. The two passed through two hallways then emerged on the roof the building they were lodged in.

Naruto dragged his feet as he strode across the building then sat down on its edge. Hinata watched him from the doorway inside, unsure of what to do. However, Naruto's shaking shoulders and sobbing that reached her ears made up her mind. Naruto-kun had helped her before when she was upset. It was time to repay the favor.

The timid chuunin walked quietly over to the boy she admired so much and took a seat beside him. Naruto looked up, then quickly averted his gaze.

" Oh, Hinata…" he uttered quietly. " Please don't be upset but… I'd like to be alone for a bit".

Hinata nearly got up and left, but she saw the pain in her companion's eyes and knew that he needed somebody to help him. She had a brief internal struggle: to disobey someone was something she had barely ever done in her life. Her very nature and her affection for Naruto competed for domination and affection just barely won.

" N-no Naruto-kun", she replied quietly. " Not when you're like this. Y-you are a friend of mine a-and you helped me w-when I was sad, so I… I'm not deserting you!"

Naruto looked up at her, surprised. Hinata paused, then continued.

" Naruto-kun… we've all been to see S-Sakura-chan and we all know h-how different she is. Something has happened to h-her and… it's painful but… y-you really care about h-her, so I-I don't think you should give up on her so easily!" the girl exclaimed, then lowered her head, unsure of what else to say.

" Hinata-chan", came Naruto's voice quietly, and his companion's head snapped up. A blush was crossing her face at hearing the affectionate honorific attached to her name, but Naruto didn't give her time to be embarrassed. " You're right", the boy responded quietly. The glow of determination was back in his eyes. " I can't give up on Sakura-chan! I haven't tried hard enough!"

He stood up, resolute.

" I'm going to see her right now, and I won't leave her room in the hospital until she's back to normal!"

Hinata stared up at him, full of admiration. He bounced back from defeat so quickly! If only she could be half as strong…

Suddenly an open hand was before her face. Hinata looked up to see Naruto standing tall above her, a smile on his face.  
" Thank you Hinata-chan", he told her. " You are… a true friend!"

Again a blush crept into Hinata's cheeks. She took his hand, almost fainting at the contact, and when she wobbled dizzily Naruto reached out and steadied her.

" Are you alright Hinata-chan?" he asked her worriedly. The girl nodded.

" Good", he responded. " Will you come with me to see Sakura-chan?"

Hinata's eyes widened. He wanted her to come with him?

" O-of course Naruto-kun!" she stammered, full of joy and hope. Naruto grinned.

" Then let's go!"

And as the pair raced back inside, Hinata was very aware that Naruto was still clasping her hand.

When they arrived at Sakura's room, the curtains were still open, but it was now moonlight that shone through the window. The pink-haired girl was in the exact same position she had been in previously, still staring at the painting of the cactus that was bathed in shadows. She did not turn to observe her visitors when the entered the room.

Naruto and Hinata glanced at each other, then each stood on one side of her bed. At this, Sakura finally glanced at her two companions.

" We need to talk to you Sakura-chan", Naruto told her.

A black-cloaked figure is perches upon the shadowy top of a chimney, his eyes following the progress of Kankuro, the brother of the Kazekage, who is on sentry duty. The figure drops quietly onto the pathway of the guards and trails after the young puppeteer. The figure knows that there is a branch in the sandy path that will come up soon, and it will be easy to drag his victim into this branch and take care of him…

Sakura's eyes met Naruto's, but hers were unfocused and expressionless.

" What would you like to talk about Naruto-kun?" she asked quietly, not seeming to care or be at all interested in what he had to say.

" Sakura-chan", Naruto told her quietly. " We know that something painful happened to you, and that it has hurt you terribly… that you're upset and you need time to heal. But you can't live like this. Sooner of later you'll have to come back, to live again. And I know you, and I know that you have a conscience. Many people's lives depend on the information you have gained. We know that you know something important. And we need to learn what it is so that we can stop these murders."

Sakura started, her face tensed up and she turned away. However, she found the earnest visage of Hinata awaiting her.

" H-he's right S-Sakura-chan", the Hyuuga heiress told her. " We n-need to know. Please… please, come back and help us".

Sakura turned from Hinata and stared this time at her hands folded upon her lap.

Naruto reached over, took her chin and tilted her head towards him.

" Sakura-chan", he asked her quietly, trying to ignore the girl's shaking. " Who is the murderer?"

The dark figure continues after his prey. Kankuro is nearly at the branch in the drafty passageway. It is almost time…

The figure reaches into a pouch of weaponry concealed beneath his dark cloak and strokes the fatal edge of a cold steel kunai…

Mitarashi Anko tosses and turns in her bed. She is unable to find rest, aware that one person has the key to this agonizing mystery. She gets up out of bed, pulls on her cloak and slips out of her door towards Sakura's room.

Sakura looked up at Naruto, pain shining from every line, every angle of her face.

" Naruto, please", she whispers.

" We need to know Sakura-chan", he replied quietly. " And we need you back. You've always struggled, trying to feel that you were strong and capable. Prove your strength. Prove your willpower. I know you can do it Sakura-chan".

The girl's eyes were full of despair as she gazed up at him.

" You don't want to know, Naruto", she uttered quietly. " You'd be happiest not knowing".

Naruto and Hinata exchanged a glance, then looked back at Sakura, determined.

" We must know Sakura-chan", the boy told her. " You know that".

Sakura sucked in a deep breath.

" The murderer…", her voice trailed off, and glistening tears trickled from her eyes.

" Sakura-chan, p-please", urged Hinata.

The girl finally looked up again. " There are only five true suspects", she said quietly.

The figure is intent upon his doomed prey, he grasps his kunai tightly, he bends his legs as he prepares to spring- and then the image of a pink-haired girl sitting in a hospital bed flashes into his mind.

He has left Haruno Sakura alone, unguarded. If she should come to her senses…

The figure whirls around and sprints back towards the hospital as quickly as a breath of wind.

" W-when we fought", Sakura whispered.

" Yes?" Naruto prompted.

" The murderer spared my life although I was vulnerable and almost unconscious. T-that means that… the murderer cares about me".

Naruto and Hinata gave quick exclamations of surprise, then stifled the noise when Sakura began to speak again.

" The only people who care about me are from Konoha", she continued. " They would have to have enough chakra to send clones over here to k-kill and their personalities would have to fit that of the murderer's as well. There is no one back in Konoha right now who cares about me that has enough chakra to send clones over other than Tsunade-sama.

Tsunade-sama has the anger and hurt that I believe the murderer must possess. However, I have studied under her and I believe that she cares so much about saving lives that she would be unable to take so many so recklessly.

Then there is our group that has come here from Konoha. There is one among our number that possesses all of the qualities necessary.

First off, there is me", Sakura continued almost mechanically.

" I have been hurt and upset, but I do not have enough chakra to send clones to Sunagakure.

" I believe it is impossible for the murderer to be Anko-sensei. True, she has enough chakra and she seems to carry much sorrow around with her, but I am convinced that she does not care too much about me. If she were the murderer and I were an obstacle to her she would dispose of me right away".

The murderer skims the tops of roofs as he soars above the shadowy, sleeping village below him. Fear has his heart in an icy grasp, fear of everything vanishing, everything falling apart… He increases his pace.

He is nearly at the hospital.

" Next is Yamato-taichou", enumerated Sakura. " He certainly keeps his emotions bottled up enough that they could explode into violence and has enough chakra to be the killer, but I believe that, like Anko-sensei, he would have no scruples about killing me if he needed to.

Next is you, Naruto".

The boy in question gave a start.

" Naruto, you have more than enough chakra. However, your personality is at odds with that of the murderer's. You are too open and you care too much about Gaara to kill the occupants of his village".

The figure lands softly on top of the dark hospital roof, and hurries through the deserted hallways as swiftly and silently as he possibly can.

What if? What if? What it? Repeats his brain.

The figure speeds up a little.

" That leaves you Hinata, and Kakashi-sensei", resumed Sakura.

" What?!" exclaimed Naruto. " Sakura-chan, you've got to be mistaken, I've known both of them for years and they would never-"

" Wouldn't they?" argued Sakura, a bit of her old passion creeping into her voice. " You should know, Naruto, how it feels to have pain and anger bottled up for all of your life! Every day of her life Hinata has been trodden on and insulted! Every day more pain has been added to the enormous amount of it that is already weighing down upon her! And she doesn't do anything about it! She is meek and polite and I'll bet", here she turned to Hinata, " I'll bet that it starts to add up, and it starts to make you angry!"

Hinata flinched, and she held up her hands. " Sakura-chan-" she began. But the girl wasn't finished. " I'll bet that sometimes you are almost upset enough to commit murder! But…" Sakura groaned and lowered her head. " These past years you've slowly begun to develop more confidence. You've begun to earn respect. You've begun to get much stronger. And furthermore… you don't have enough chakra to send clones all the way here. That leaves-"

The door burst open, and a black cloaked figure sprang into the chamber. Sakura looked up and addressed him calmly, though the tears kept trickling down her face.

" -Kakashi-sensei", she finished grimly.

For a moment everyone was still, their eyes fixed upon the intruder and the kunai that glimmered in his hand. Then Naruto whispered: " No. Sakura-chan, it can't be! Kakashi-sensei… he's always been here for us. He's always-".

" Sorry Naruto", uttered the figure. " But haven't you learned by now how often Sakura is right?" He raised a hand and slowly reached backwards until he took hold of the hood that obscured his face. Folds of cloth fell back and the all too familiar visage of Hatake Kakashi showed, concealed behind the usual blue cloth mask.

There was a long, agonizing pause.

" I often wish you weren't quite as smart as you are, Sakura", the jounin told her quietly, one of his kind smiles crinkling the edges of his eyes.

Anko reached Sakura's chamber quickly. She extended her hand to turn the handle when she hears a well-known voice saying: " But did you figure out why I murder?"

Anko clapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. That voice! That was- but no, it couldn't be! Not him… not Kakashi, of all people… he had just announced that he was the murderer!

Sakura nodded quietly. " Of course", she responded quietly. " There was only one explanation that made sense. It was f… for Anko-sensei".

The woman in question turned to the door in bewilderment. What had Sakura just said? Why would Kakashi-

" Someone is blackmailing you", the young medical ninja continued. " Someone has full control over her life. And you can't let her go".

" No", whispered Kakashi. " I can't let her go. She is… everything. Everything that is beautiful and kind and clever and good. She is like the sun to me. If she were gone, I… I couldn't live. Do you understand?!" he exclaimed suddenly. " You must understand! Without her life that was a tropical rainforest is a barren desert, the world loses all beauty and good because I can't see her and listen to her and maybe touch her, because the sight of her is food to me and the sound of her voice is my drink! I couldn't live, I couldn't appreciate anything beautiful knowing that she was gone and I hadn't saved her, the most beautiful of all! Do you understand? Can you possibly understand the agony of looking at her and loving her and knowing that in a split second she may be gone, like a delicate, gorgeous, radiant flower that must be nourished with blood?! I may be evil and dark and horrid because of the crimes I commit, but I will be evil and dark and horrid if it means she lives! I will do anything for her- anything! Even if it means giving up all my principles and everything good in my soul except my love for her!"

Here, Naruto, Sakura and Hinata realized, was the true face of Hatake Kakashi, which had hidden behind the façade of the mild-tempered teacher for so long. Bottled up passions had finally forced themselves out of hiding.

The three only wished that those feelings had stayed bottled up forever.

" Don't you understand?" uttered Kakashi, suddenly losing all forcefulness. He was trying desperately to justify himself to the three, trying to show them that he was not really a monster, just a man who loved very much and was inspired to commit horrific crimes to breathe life into the object of that desperate, ardent love.

" Don't you understand that I can't live without her?" he whispered, averting his eyes guiltily.

Suddenly, the door swung open and Mitarashi Anko stepped into the moonlit room, tears shining from her eyes.

A.N.: Hello everybody, I'm sorry it took so long for me to update! However, this is by far my longest chapter ever, so I hope it was worth the wait! My school play is over, so I'll have more free time to write now (until the next production, that is, but I'll warn you when it comes up). Thanks for reading, and please leave some of your wonderful reviews!


	11. Explosion

Chapter 11: Explosion

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This fanfiction is written purely for fun.

For a moment Kakashi stared at Anko, stupefied, then he averted his gaze quickly, the pink glow of humiliation tinging what was visible of his cheeks.

" It's you Kakashi?" she whispered hoarsely. " _You_?!"

The silver-haired ninja turned suddenly to face her.

" Yes!" he snapped. " Yes, I'm the killer! Does it surprise you? Does it upset you? Famous copy ninja Kakashi, defender of Konoha!" he spat mockingly. " Yes I've betrayed the village and your trust! But I…" suddenly the fire left him and he slumped against the wall. " I couldn't let you die", he whispered.

" Let me die Kakashi? What are you talking about?" Anko exclaimed. She moved towards him but Kakashi turned away once more. The kunoichi paused, then continued towards him and quietly wrapped her arms around him.

" Kakashi… I'm not letting you shut yourself off from me this time", she told him. Anko reached up to turn his face towards hers and gently pressed her lips against his through the mask. For a moment the traitor of konoha closed his eyes and relaxed into the kiss but then his lids flickered open and he pushed Anko away from him.

" Anko, no", he whispered. " Look at what I've done… I'm not who you thought I was".

He stepped away from her and turned to face the rest of the group.

" Well?" he snapped. " I'm the murderer, do your job!" When they stared at him, some in confusion, some in sorrow, he spoke up again.

" I've been betraying the village for years, it is your duty to kill me!"

More tears leaked out of Sakura's eyes. Naruto stared at Kakashi, then stood up.

" I don't believe this!" he exclaimed. " You must not be Kakashi-sensei, I know he wouldn't kill people like you have, whoever you are!"

" Fool!" snarled the silver-haired jounin. " Your " Kakashi-sensei" was a façade! I invented his kindness and nobility! This is the real Hatake Kakashi, murderer, traitor, filth!" There was a long pause during which the murderer, traitor and filth in question drew a kunai and assumed a fighting position. Still no one moved.

" What are you waiting for?" demanded Kakashi. " Fine! If you do not wish to do your duty, I'll just leave!" He strode over to the window and hooked one leg over the ledge, obviously preparing to jump out. Suddenly the jounin leaped from the window and to the side, just dodging a kunai that flew from the doorway. All eyes turned to see Yamato standing there quietly, his hand outstretched from his throw.

Kakashi turned to look at him and finally paced carefully towards the younger ninja.

" So", he remarked quietly. " Finally it appears that someone is willing to fight! But…" he stepped so close to Yamato that their noses were almost touching.

" -Appearances can be deceiving", he finished quietly. " I've fought with you before and I've seen how fast you can throw a kunai. That was far from your best".

Yamato looked down.

" None of us can fight you Kakashi", he said quietly. " You know that. So leave".

" You will abandon your duties then?" asked the man in question.

" Well", replied Yamato quietly, glancing down at his hand. " Not quite". And he pulled a thin wire that had been almost invisible in his palm. For a moment, nothing happened, and Kakashi turned to Yamato to make some comment when the sky framed by the room's window burst into flame.

" Explosive notes", stated Yamato quietly. " You have a few moments to leave here before reinforcements arrive". Kakashi stared at him, taken aback. Then he sighed and shook his head.

" Fool", he told Yamato.

" I know", the other replied.

Once again Kakashi stepped to the window. He turned to face his old comrades, paused as though about to speak, then turned and leaped through the window, his last quickly vanishing hope of freedom. As his shape was framed by the burning sky Anko gave one quiet, mournful sob.

The kazekage paced back and forth restlessly before the group of ninja assembled before him.

The door finally opened and though the man who reported to Gaara spoke quietly the occupants of the room nonetheless heard every word that was exchanged.

" No sign of him Kazekage-sama", muttered the ninja. " Our scouts have reported no sightings".

" Thank you", Gaara whispered. " Keep watching for him".

Finally the young leader of Suna turned to face his audience.

" Remarkable", he commented quietly. " My patrols have caught no sight of him. He is no doubt very skilled, but not in a way that I am at all in admiration of. Truly, Anko-san" (she was the new leader of the konoha cell)" truly, Tsunade-sama has sent me her most skilled ninja".

The kunoichi rose and faced him with remarkable calm.

" Rest assured Gaara-sama, Hokage-sama knew no more of this than you", she informed him. " She would never have tolerated the presence of this-" here her voice cracked slightly but she continued bravely "-this traitor in konoha otherwise".

Gaara paused, then turned to face her quietly.

" Really Anko-san", he stated quietly. " Your medic already knew that Hatake Kakashi was the murderer for an entire precious day and yet she did not speak up. Your team has apparently let him escape without putting up any fight whatsoever, for none of you bore any marks of a struggle when my ninjas arrived! What is it that you expect me to believe?! Really, this is too much!"

" Sakura studied under Kakashi for years and was very fond of him", Anko answered. " She was naturally devastated at realizing his betrayal. Your medics can testify that her brain had shut itself off, that she was incapable of telling you what she had discovered! And… she was not the only one affected by his betrayal. We all were shocked and were too stunned to act. We apologize Gaara-sama… but please realize that we could not have fought when we learned the murderer's identity!"

Gaara frowned and turned to her. " Anko-san, your excuses sound feeble as you are no doubt aware. If I am to even think about letting the five of you go you must give me more information".

" What is it that you expect us to give?!" Anko argued. " We have told you all we know!"

" Not quite", a voice stated suddenly. All eyes turned in the direction of Haruno Sakura, who had stood up.

" I know how Kakashi-sen… Kakashi was able to kill".

A.N.: Hello everybody! Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked this chapter! I'm glad that some of you said that you were surprised that Kakashi is the murderer in your reviews, I had worried that I'd made it too obvious. Please review, and thanks for your time!


	12. I Live to Serve

Chapter 12: I Live to Serve

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. This fanfiction is written purely for fun.

Mist swirls around the room- or is it a room? The space is too large, the mist too thick, for one to be certain. He smiles, knowing that the thing he is waiting for will happen soon. The mist begins to part, as a black-cloaked figure emerges from the fog. The figure kneels before him, and he smiles again.

" You have done it?" He whispers, hardly loud enough to be heard, but sound reaches the cloaked figure's ears. Expectantly, He waits.

No answer.

" I asked you a question", He snaps, still expecting a positive response.

He is disappointed.

" I… I apologize", responds the cloaked figure. " I have… have failed".

Trembling, Hatake Kakashi recounts the events of his visit to Sunagakure. When he finishes, there is a long pause. Kakashi's breath is harsh and erratic, and his heartbeat pounds in his ears.

" You have… failed?" He echoes, as though he does not know the meaning of the words.

" I have", replies the cloaked figure.

There is another long pause, and then He sighs loudly, and a minuscule smile appears on His face.

" In that case, I suppose I was wrong as to the depth of your affections", He responds. " Since you obviously no longer value her life…" and His hands come together, beginning to form the signs for a jutsu.

_Rat, tiger, snake, bird, horse…_

" At first", began Sakura. " It seemed as though there were no traces left when Kakashi killed. However, on examining the bodies I noticed something so small that it would be passed over by almost any medic. Each body had one thing in common: their-"

She was interrupted by a blood-curdling scream.

Mitarashi Anko had fallen to the ground, her hands clawing at her forehead. Managing to tear off her headband, the kunoichi raked at her head, almost mad with pain. The ninja rushed at her, pinning down her limbs and trying to hold her still, trying to see what had caused such a reaction. Anko's eyes were unfocused and crazed. The woman writhed frantically in their grasp…

" NO! PLEASE!" shrieks Kakashi, springing up from the ground on which he kneels and throwing himself at the bottom of the stone throne He sits on.

" I-I'm sorry, I'll never fail you again, I swear, please! I beg of you!"

Impassive, He continues His hand signs.

_Ox, rabbit, snake, monkey… _

Anko began to foam at the mouth. Her eyes rolled up into her head and the flailing of her limbs made it difficult for her captors to hold her in place.

_Dragon, tiger, horse, bird…_

Suddenly the purple-haired kunoichi went limp. Her tight muscles relaxed simultaneously. However, her eyes still showed pain and struggle…

_Ram, dog, rooster…_

" I'LL DO ANYTHING!" screams Kakashi. He pauses in the midst of his jutsu, still keeping his chakra in motion, ready to complete the technique, and turns to the cloaked figure, a smug smile playing around his lips.

" Anything, Kakashi-kun? _Anyone_ at all?"

Kakashi regrets having spoken, however, he nods mutely.

" Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto…?" he asks, hands poised to complete the jutsu.

Kakashi attempts to conceal his horror. His students? But then the image of a screaming Anko appears in his mind…

Once again, the traitor of konoha nods.

" Oh my", He remarks, amused. " You really would do anything. I'll give you three days".

Kakashi nods for the last time, still staring at His hands. Laughing, He pulls them apart, breaking the jutsu. Kakashi sighs with relief.

" I live to serve… Orochimaru-sama".

Anko gasped, her eyes rolling back into place and refocusing. She began to sit up slowly, panting heavily. Her body was drenched in sweat.

" Is it over?" she whispered weakly.

" Anko-sensei! Are you alright?" gasped Sakura. " What happened?"

" An attack", the purple-haired woman responded. " I have them once in a while. This one… was worse than others."

Sakura began checking the older woman's pulse and breathing. Neither were as stable as she could hope, however, they were righting themselves.

" Don't trouble yourself with an examination, Sakura", Anko told her. " I've gone to Tsunade-sama herself. She can't understand why I get these attacks… or how to cure them".

" There isn't any way…?" began Sakura, but the older woman shook her head.

" I'm afraid not", she replied. " I'll be alright in… in a bit. I just need a moment to recover…"

Anko was given a glass of water and after about ten minutes she was well enough to apologize to Gaara for interrupting the meeting. Casting a worried glance at Anko, Sakura continued her lecture.

" All of the bodies had one thing in common: their chakra systems were stretched a bit more than is normal. Most of the time, unless the stretching is quite severe (and in this case it was not) the situation would be accounted for by the fact that ninja often do stretch their chakra systems while using jutsus. However, some of the victims in question were not ninja. Therefore, I studied chakra systems more and come to the conclusion that Kakashi is able to suck all of his victim's chakra out, killing them in a manner that left barely any traces of what he had done".

Her audience, who had been silent throughout her speech, now burst into conversation. Was it really possible… The girl was exaggerating! She was lying, she had to be! No individual could actually suck out someone's chakra…!

" SILENCE!" roared Baki. Immediately the chatter ceased. He turned to Gaara. " kazekage-sama, what is your opinion as to these claims?"

Gaara frowned. " I believe that it is a plausible suggestion that Sakura-san has made. However, as the bodies have all been incinerated, there is no way of telling whether what she speaks of is the truth. The evidence is gone."

The Kazekage turned to the konoha ninja.

" It seems that I have no choice but to accompany you to konoha and address Tsunade-sama about this affair personally".

Hatake Kakashi leaves his meeting point, his heart heavy with dread. Of all the victims to choose, of all the people… But no, he must do this. Or else…

" I will save you, Anko-san", he whispers. " I love you… I can't let you go!"

A.N.: I'm sorry this took so long! I had a bit of a busy stretch, but anyway, here is chapter 12! I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review!


	13. Heart of Stone

Chapter 13: Heart of Stone

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. This fanfiction is written purely for fun. _

When sorrow wells up inside one, when one is blinded by pain and loathing of oneself, the easiest way to deal with painful emotions is to simply get rid of them. One turns one's heart to glass-no, to stone, stone will not shatter, and simply ceases being human.

Then, when one has been rendered invincible and impregnable, covered in the armor of uncaring and swathed in the thick cloak of indifference, one can perform any task, commit any crime, without batting an eye. It is so much easier to live when one feels nothing.

One scales rocky cliffs with ease, only being cautious during the climb because one is a more efficient machine when one's body is unharmed, and sits gracefully on the top, face and body as still as though one's form's harsh, sharp lines have been carved out of ivory. One closes one's eyes and reaches out with one's chakra for humans, for one's prey.

And since one is such an efficient machine, since one is so flawless and dictated wholly by reason (and not something as flawed and imperfect as emotions), one soon locates the ones one seeks. One can feel their hearts pound with the churning emotions they constantly experience and one wonders without curiosity how they can stand living and being human.

One opens one's sculpted eyelids and turns one's head towards their heartbeats. One's blank, dark eye open quietly, their empty depths bringing no character to one's face and one leaps gracefully (indeed, a well-oiled machine) and lands amongst the verdant treetops. One jumps easily from branch to branch, silently following one's prey.

Silently one's marble lips mouth words as one's fingers form hand signs. A flawless genjutsu is cast and the larger portion of the humans is sent in one direction while the path the other two follow leads right back to one. One watches and one waits.

A young girl with bright pink hair and a blonde boy clad in a bright orange jumpsuit appear. One crouches and prepares a jutsu…

Sakura and Naruto hurried ahead, their quick pace leaving the rest of the group behind. The two were chatting quietly, trying and failing to keep away any awkwardness when an enormous water dragon shot at them. The pair dodged off to opposite sides and drew kunai.

" Who's there?" demanded Naruto.

" Kakashi-sensei, we were there when you copied that jutsu", Sakura uttered, her voice shaking slightly. " There's no point in hiding from us".

The tall, silver-haired ninja leaped from a tall branch and landed gracefully in front of them. He stood up quietly and faced them. The machine called " Kakashi" stood before them, not saying anything.

" You're here to kill us", Sakura whispered.

There was a tense pause.

" Yes", the machine agreed finally.

" Well, come on then", Sakura snapped, her voice cracking. " Well? What more can you do Kakashi-sensei?! We trusted you! You were the person we could always rely on!"

The machine stared at her for a moment. " That was not me, as you very well know", it answered.

Sakura choked back a sob, however Naruto was drew a kunai of his own.

" Naruto, what are you doing?!" she demanded.

" I'm going to do what I failed to do for Sasuke", the boy responded. " I'm going to bring Kakashi-sensei back".

For a moment the mechanical heart of the machine falters, warms a little. For a moment fleeting past sensations flicker inside it.

But no, a machine is built to deal with technological difficulties. That is what this… this _thing_ that it is experiencing is. Only a programming error. And the cool, impassive element takes control once more.

The machine sprang at the two.

Sakura choked back her emotion and jumped aside with Naruto. However, she was still in mid-jump when a silver blur rushed towards her. Surprised at the suddenness of Kakashi's recovery the medical ninja snatched several shuriken from her holster, snapped them into place, moved back her arm to throw-

And hesitated. This man had the appearance of the sensei she loved and had known for years. She couldn't bring herself to attack him.

And in that brief moment of indecision the machine struck. Sakura was hurled through the air and collided heavily with a thick tree trunk. A short gasp of pain came from her lips.

The machine landed before her, it's marble mask of a face carved into an expression of disdain at her still-remaining inexplicable affection for it.

" Really Sakura", it sneered. " Haven't you realized by now that an attitude like that will get you killed?"

Sakura stood up slowly. " It might take me a while, Kakashi-sensei", she responded sadly.

The machine suddenly took note of a movement from it's peripheral vision. It leaped back just in time to dodge the kunai knives that buried themselves in the wood of the tree branch where it had been standing. Naruto hurtled after it. He brought his hands together in a familiar hand sign and two shadow clones sprang into being on either side of him.

Shouting loudly, a pair of them shot forwards at the machine. They raised their fists to strike, however their emotionless opponent easily kicked out once, twice, and they burst into harmless clouds of smoke.

The remaining three Narutos continued their assault. One tossed shuriken at Kakashi and the other two brought their hands together. A ball of chakra began to form there-

" Not rasengan, Naruto!" exclaimed Sakura, horrified. However, her fears went unfounded. The machine known as " Kakashi" deflected the weaponry with his kunai and struck out at the trio of attackers. Two vanished and the real Naruto went sprawling.

" Perhaps you would like to spare yourselves this useless struggle?" inquired the machine. Naruto glared at him, speechless.

" Not likely!" roared another voice, and the two turned to see Sakura leaping towards them wielding an entire uprooted tree. She brought it down forcefully, and both of the other two had difficulty dodging it on time.

" I am pleased that you have abandoned your old weaknesses", the machine informed her. It's hands flickered rapidly through a series of hand motions. It brought up on hand to it's face and breathed out a cloud of roaring, blinding fire.

Naruto and Sakura dodged this, too, tears welling up in both of their eyes. That was Sasuke's old technique…

Suddenly the two were slammed against one another and rammed into a treetrunk.

" I'll ask you once more", the machine told them. " You may still surrender peacefully".

Sakura opened her mouth to object, however Naruto shook his head at her.

" Alright Kakashi-sensei", he responded. " We surrender".

" We what?!" demanded Sakura, as the machine replied, surprised by this uncalculated response, : " You what?!"

" We surrender", Naruto told him, his eyes burning into Kakashi's intensely. " Kill us sensei".

Sakura glanced at him, then seemed to accept his words. She too turned back to their teacher. " Yes", she agreed. " We won't fight you anymore".

The machine stared at them, uncertain.

" You may kill us at your leisure", Sakura informed him sarcastically.

The machine hesitated. Struggle in hand-to-hand combat was one thing, but this was another. The machine understood that this hesitancy was just what they wanted, and yet…

A thousand memories came flooding into it's mind. Times spent with the team, happier days, warmer times.

And then the nights spent hunting down other ninja for Orochimaru-sama.

If he-it didn't kill them, Anko would…

Still the machine hesitated.

The sudden stillness of the tense moment was broken by the appearance of another ninja who landed gracefully behind the machine.

" Kakashi", Anko uttered quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He, it, turned to face her, and Anko could see the love fighting in his eyes.

" Kakashi, stop it", she whispered, her voice a bit hoarse, yet as beautiful as silver bells to his ears.

It was a choice between her and his students. Kakashi hesitated, torn between two powerful affections.

When sorrow wells up inside one, when one is blinded by pain and loathing of oneself, the easiest way to deal with painful emotions is to simply get rid of them. One turns one's heart to glass-no, to stone, stone will not shatter, and simply ceases being human.

Yet stone will not remain forever. Even if painful emotions can be dismissed for a time, they will always return until they are dealt with. Stone will not shatter, but it can be moved. You just need the right lever.

The lever is applied, the stone is lifted-

And then, just like that, one is human again.

_A.N.: I'm so sorry about this huge delay! I kept getting ideas for my Star Wars fic, so I just kept updating it. However, the next update will be sooner. Don't worry, I fully intend to complete " The Traitor of Konoha". Thanks for reading! _


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